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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 5, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 30, 2005 Since you asked Sayings have colorful roots The Brits say, "Not by a long chalk." We say, "Not by a long shot." Is the saying related to pool? And how did we get so far apart in this case? — Maxine S., Ashland They have different meanings, according to our research, but could both have British origins. "Not by a long chalk" means "not by much." "Not by a long shot" is like a snowball’s chance in Hades. The origin of "long shot" was probably nautical, Maxine. In the old days, sailing ships had smooth-bore cannons (as opposed to modern rifled cannons), which were accurate only over a short distance. A "long shot" did not have much chance of hitting its target. Another plausible theory attributes "long shot" to archery, where the aptness is equally apparent. "Long chalk" seems to have different roots altogether. Most experts consulted by the etymology department here at Since You Asked agree that it came from the practice of reckoning on a board with chalk the scores of darts and other barroom games in English pubs. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s